Man alleges police torture

A 60-year-old man of Mand Pandher village, Kulwant Singh, facing an inquiry in a fraud case, has accused Dasuya station house officer (SHO), Onkar Singh Brar, of torture. Kulwant, admitted in the civil hospital, alleged that when he went to the Dasuya police station to meet his son, arrested in an old case, he was beaten up by the SHO, without provocation.

"ASI Mohan Lal asked me to take food for my son in the police station. However, when I reached the police station, along with former panch Harbans Lal, SHO Onkar Singh Brar objected to the bringing of food," alleged Kulwant Singh. He said he was taken to the hospital by Lal.

The incident acquired a political hue when Congress leader Arun Dogra met the complainant on Monday and promised support. He condemned the incident and said that he would take up the matter with the SSP.

The SHO, however, refuted the allegations and said that Kulwant Singh had enacted a drama to flee from police action. He added that Kulwant's NRI brother-in-law Paramjit Singh had lodged a complaint with the police that the former had prepared a fake sale agreement to sell his land and an inquiry was pending with him.

"Moreover, Kulwant Singh's son Yugraj and brother-in-law Ranjit Singh are proclaimed offenders (PO) in a 2002 case under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Yugraj was arrested on Sunday and a case for harbouring a PO was registered against Kulwant and his wife Surinder Kaur," said Brar.

He claimed that he was open to any probe as he had not beaten up Kulwant.

Meanwhile, Dasuya senior medical officer Dr Naresh Kansra said that the medical examination had confirmed injury on Kulwant's shoulder and the X-ray report was yet to come.